Excitement Builds Ahead Of Saturday's Straw Poll

The ballots are ready, the tickets have been handed out and some 800 journalists are headed to Iowa. The Ames Straw Poll is Saturday.

The first sign the straw poll is almost here: a Fox News satellite truck pulled in to Ames on Monday. Roughly 800 bloggers, reporters and correspondents from all over the world will be in an area outside Hilton Coliseum soon.

?Having all the eyes of the world on Ames is something all Iowans should celebrate. One thing we do work on very well, in a bipartisan way, is we make sure Iowa is first in nation. And this is an important event to help keep that status,? Iowa Republican Party chairman Matt Strawn said Monday.

Crisp, white shirts with an embroidered ?Straw Poll 2011? logo for volunteers came in to the GOP headquarters in Des Moines. They sit in boxes near khaki hats and light blue shirts with the same logo.

But most important, perhaps, will be the security of the vote.

?It's as secure as any election we will have. We've actually leased the voting equipment from Story County so it's the actual equipment that is used in state and local elections,? Strawn said.

Straw poll voters must be Iowa residents with a photo ID to prove it. Anyone 16-and-a-half or older is eligible. A sample ballot showed nine names in all and a chance to write in a candidate.

?One thing we've never had before is a write-in opportunity. Given that it's a very fluid field right now and given there are some candidates who may be announcing shortly, we wanted to provide that opportunity for Iowans to vote for someone who isn't on the printed ballot,? Strawn said.

The candidates who have already made dozens of visits and spent thousands of dollars are hoping Iowa voters choose them. Texas Rep. Ron Paul paid $31,000 to rent a prime spot of real estate in Ames. The best and most expensive area of land is right outside the Scheman Building and not far from Hilton Coliseum. That's where people will be coming in and out to vote.

It's a tightly guarded secret how many people are expected in Ames. The Republican Party of Iowa wants it that way so candidates can't predict how many votes they will need. But history indicates that thousands will converge on Ames.

Polls close at 4 p.m. Saturday. Strawn said he expects to know the winner shortly after polls close.

?We're excited about very quick, accurate results,? he said.

Tickets to the straw poll cost $30. Some campaigns are paying for their supporters to go vote.

The straw poll is a major fundraiser for the Iowa Republican Party. It?s also a test of campaign strength and popularity in Iowa.

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